The Magnificent Seven Ride!

Just when you think they're releasing more and always inferior "Magnificent Seven" sequels solely because people can't get enough of Elmer Bernstein's legendary musical score, comes the final and (in)arguably best follow-up of the whole franchise. John Sturges' 1960 original, although merely just a blatant imitation of the Japanese milestone "Seven Samurai", can righteously be considered as a true American western classic, but parts II and III are downright shameless, uninspired and totally redundant rehashes without any entertainment value whatsoever. The character of Chris Adams, twice depicted by Yul Brunner and once by George Kennedy, grew out to become some sort of philosophical prophet who always does the right thing and the rare highlights of the sequels were just vague copies of similar moments featuring in the original. With this fourth and final installment, we arrived in the decade of 70's cinema and is this ever noticeable or what? What the Italian directors already knew throughout the entire 1960's had now suddenly become clear in the USA as well: westerns need to be mean and dirty, with despicable characters (even the heroes!), graphic violence and plenty of sleaze and smut! Even the traditional goody-two-shoes Marshall Chris Adams has suddenly become an embittered and narcissistic persona, though admittedly the performance and natural charisma of Lee "the Bad" Van Cleef adds a great deal to this transformation. Not once but twice Chris rejects the cry for help of an old pal, who begs him to come and fight an unfair battle against a Mexican posse that terrorizes a small little town near the American border. Instead of that, he chooses to go after one sole juvenile delinquent who raped and murdered his own wife. Only when Chris discovers that his pal killed off the youthful thug because he joined the posse, he feels responsible to take over the good cause and defend the remaining widows of the little community. Chris' six "noble" helpers aren't heroic lonesome cowboys, but convicted criminals who only participate because it's their only chance for parole. This minor chance in the formula actually makes this final entry more like a crossover between "The Magnificent Seven" and "The Dirty Dozen". And last but not least, the allegedly poor and defenseless town women are actually more like luscious and horny widows. They don't exactly appear mournful over their brutally slaughter farmer husbands and pretty much throw themselves at the robust macho thugs. It also has to be said that they don't really look like Mexican farmer women, but more like the ensemble staff of a luxury brothel. All this is perhaps a bit of an abrupt alternation of the franchise, but it's the best damn thing that could have happened to it! The gunfights are quite nasty, with lots of blood spurting out of people's stomachs and heads, and the climax is short but exhilarating. Van Cleef is awesome as always (by God, I love that guy) and there are terrific supportive roles for Luke Askew, Ed Lauter and William Lucking. And, not to forget, a modest but memorable cameo appearance of a still very young Gary Busey.

The final chapter of the original series (as there was a short-lived TV series that came out decades later), but despite the recurring Chris character (this time portrayed by the steely Lee Van Cleef) and the Mexican bandits. "The Magnificent Seven Ride!" didn't feel like a magnificent seven film but more a western take on "The Dirty Dozen". Well when it starts it plays on a more personal, if adventurous note (Chris now a town Marshall seeking vengeance on a couple of bank robbers) before settling on the winsome, but safe story mechanics of the previous entries. A village (of women) in need of rescue from Mexican bandits. After chasing one of the bank robbers over the border, he finds himself accidentally getting involved as originally he knocked down the offer from an old friend to help in some shape. "He did my job. I'll do his." A team is hand-picked by Chris… this time it's criminals not bounty hunters. The same shtick, but still rather diverting. Arthur Rowe's story moves by quick enough, never becoming overly preachy but held together by some engaging dialogue passages and solid performances (Michael Callan, Luke Askew, Stefanie Powers, Pedro Armendáriz Jr. and Ralph Waite) that share a good rapport on screen. Also some familiar faces (James Sikking, Ed Lauter and Gary Busey) show up. Director George McCowan takes time to set it up with moments of reflection and humour, but there are well pieced shootouts with violence bursts and red sauce going around. The efficient direction stays grounded, even though it had that made for TV back-lot feel. The music score is recycled but still feels at home with the action. "Ride" won't blow you away, but I found it a slightly better effort over the last two instalments; "Return" and "Guns".

This is the last sequel to ¨Magnificent seven¨ with the skinny Lee Van Cleef as tough gunslinger named Chris (whose character was played by Yul Brynner in two occasions and one performed by Lee Van Cleef and George Kennedy). He's nowadays as sheriff , Marshal Chris Adams , who turns down a friend's request to help stop the depredations of a band of Mexican bandits , but then his spouse (Mariette Hartley) has been kidnapped by a gang . When his wife is abducted by bank thieves and his friend is murdered capturing the last outlaw , Chris feels obligated to take up his partner's cause . Then Chris along with a journalist (Michael Callan) set off in pursuit bandit gunfighters (Gary Busey among them) , as he recruits five prisoners to track down the desperadoes . Besides , Chris helping his buddy (Ralph Waite) must free a Mexican village (inhabited by women as Stefanie Powers , among others) besieged by nasty outlaws who are devastating the small location . Lee van Cleef is decided to take a group of prisoners and strike a blow against the Mexican bandits . He goes to Tucson Territorial Prison where a bunch of misfits , murderers , robbers , rapists and other prisoners (with a TV star-studded cast such as Pedro Armendariz , Luke Askew, William Lucking, Ed Lauter, and James B. Sikking ) get a chance to redeem themselves . As Chris recruits various Magnificent Men and once again defending hapless people from their oppressors . As a brand of new seven , doing their number , they put their lives on the line and let it ride .

The last in the original series of four ¨The Magnificent Seven¨ movies , here Lee Van Cleef as Chris , substituting Yul Brynner , who played the role in two occasions , and one performed by George Kennedy . Yul Brynner insisted he would only make the sequels if Steve McQueen was not involved , McQueen felt the plot was too absurd and for this, and other reasons, was not interested anyway . Van Cleef as a two-fisted avenger sheriff is good as well as his role of ¨Sabata¨, meanwhile Yul Brynner left the Chris character for playing the ¨Cleef's Sabata¨ role in ¨Indio Black¨ . The story is similar to previous entries , adding ¨Dirty dozen¨ wake , including customary outlaw band formed by an eclectic gang with diverse speciality , as dynamite or guns . The film gets action Western , exciting riding, shootouts, it's funny and entertaining , although nothing new but displays a television style . The movie contains some moment of grisly violence and even touching on the relationships between the women and the Magnificent . This is a drab , inferior sequel from the original and enduringly popular ¨The magnificent seven¨ (John Sturges,1960) that is equally remake to ¨The seven samurais¨ (in fact , it was Yul Brynner who approached producer Walter Mirisch with the idea of doing a Western adaptation of Akira Kurosawa's classic) . After that , followed ¨The return of the seven¨(Burt Kennedy,1966), again with Brynner and ¨Guns of the magnificent seven¨ (Paul Wendkos,1969) with George Kennedy and continued with a TV series and a Television movie realized in 1998 . As always , breathtaking and memorable musical score by the great Elmer Berstein. Elmer , whose score for the series is one of the best-known ever composed , also wrote the soundtrack for the parody of this film, 'Three amigos'. Appropriate cinematography by expert cameraman Fred J. Koenekamp (Patton, The inferno towering, Papillon) . The motion picture was regularly directed by George McCowan , a usual TV episodes director (Charlie's Angels , Banacek , Cannon , Starsky and Hutch) . The film will appeal to Lee Van Cleef fans .

Despite sporting "The Magnificent Seven" in it's title, this is basically a B-movie with a budget, albeit a very good B-movie. This throws in revenge elements and a little Dirty Dozen style criminal recruitment to spice up the usual heroics of the title protectors.

After seven or so years of mainly spaghetti westerns, it's nice to see Lee Van Cleef (taking over hosting duties from Yul Brynner and George Kennedy) headlining a major American western.

It's also a lot of fun to see a slew of familiar faces sharing the screen with Van Cleef, like Gary Busy, Luke Askew, Ed Lauter, and William Lucking (who's finally getting some recognition as a co-star on "The Sons Of Anarchy") among others.

It's too bad that second-billed Stefanie Powers isn't given anything much to do besides looking good and kissing Lee Van Cleef, who's wife has been dead less than a week!

Another Dirty Dozen western knock-off, this one being Italian, is Massacre At Fort Holman, also known as A Reason To Live, A Reason To Die, starring James Coburn, Telly Savalas, and Bud Spencer. If you liked this, then that one is highly recommended too.

I shall say that Lee Van Cleef and a bunch of beauty women hold the picture, we must forget as sequel of Magnificent Seven, it was a masterpiece, this picture is quite good entertainment for many reasons, it has the most elements to make a good movie, the plot is aceptable, apart Cleef the casting is second class but still good and finaly a great western lanscape, but this one has a great virtue than the previous, it has a bunch of women, all them young widows including Stefanie Powers and Mariette Hartley, look on Ed Lauter & Gary Busey in the early years!!

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First watch: 2005 / How many: 2 / Source: DVD / Rating: 6.25